Sale Sharks: Steve Diamond expects more player renewals

Sale Sharks currently sit sixth in the Premiership

Sale Sharks director of rugby Steve Diamond expects more players to commit their future to the club.

Hooker Tommy Taylor signed a one-year extension to his deal this week, but Diamond expects more news on contracts before January.

Sale have a number of key players out of contract at the end of the season.

"Eifion Lewis-Roberts, Michael Paterson to name a couple, Danny Cipriani - they all are keen to stay at the club," Diamond, 45, told Rugby Union Extra.

"All of them want to see the ambition in the club of signing the existing players, and then going in the market for two or three other players - and we're in the market.

Sale boss Steve Diamond (second left) at the Rugby Union Extra fans' forum with Sharks forward Michael Paterson (far right)

Players in the Premiership who are out of contract at the end of the campaign can begin talking to other clubs in January if they wish.

"We're in need of another senior prop, another back-five player and possibly a back-three player," he added.

"I'm pretty sure in the next week I will have virtually all the retentions done, and then we'll be announcing in the early new year."

As clubs plan budgets for next season, Saracens chief executive Edward Griffiths has called for the Premiership wage cap to be abolished.

From next year, the basic salary limit will rise from £4.76m to £5.1m, with teams also able to sign two 'marquee' players, whose wages will be excluded from the cap as long as they arrive from outside the Premiership.

"We spend £4.5m," Diamond told BBC Radio Manchester. "So for us to keep our players, we have to do it on more than just money.

"We have to have a good team spirit, living in Manchester - a fantastic city to live in - and all the rest of the things that we do to convince people.

"What we can never do - even the likes of Bath, Saracens and Leicester - is compete with the French clubs."

If you missed Rugby Union Extra's fan's forum on BBC Radio Manchester you can listen again to the show or download the podcast.